European RVSM Approvals

The EUR RMA maintains a database of all operators and aircraft that have been issued an approval to operate with a 1,000 ft vertical separation in RVSM airspace, by one of the 44 state/aircraft registries and CMAs accredited to the region. The EUR RMA exchanges RVSM approval data with 12 other Regional Monitoring Agencies around the globe so that the status of any aircraft can be checked no matter which RVSM region it is operating in.

The EUR RMA verifies the approval status of aircraft by comparing flight plan and height monitoring data to the combined records of global RVSM approvals. In the event that an aircraft is not listed as approved the RMA submits a request for approval status clarification to the appropriate State Authority or RMA responsible for the region from which the aircraft originates. States are required to take appropriate action in the event that an aircraft is operating without a valid approval.

RVSM approvals

In order to obtain RVSM airframe and operations approval an operator must satisfy their state regulatory authorities that the requirements detailed in EASA CS-ACNS (or equivalent documents such as FAA Guidelines 91-RVSM, change 2) have been satisfied.

The RVSM approval includes:

The operational approval including the crew training and the maintenance and

There is no exemption for State aircraft to operate as GAT within RVSM airspace with a 1000 ft vertical separation minimum without an RVSM approval. The absence of such approval does not mean that State aircraft cannot access RVSM designated airspace, but it does require a separation of 2000 ft to be observed and a separate flight plan to be filed.

Any derivative aircraft modified for specific functions must be validated against the RVSM MASPS before being granted an RVSM approval. (Since 2003 a number of issues have arisen regarding the operation of State aircraft within RVSM airspace, in particular the validation of height-keeping performance requirements for derivative aircraft types and the necessity for an RVSM approval to be issued by the appropriate State airworthiness authority).

Formation flights are not permitted within RVSM airspace with a 1000 ft vertical separation minimum.

EUR-RVSM Region

ICAO Annex 11 requires the establishment of an RMA in every region in which RVSM has been implemented. States within a region are accredited to the RMA for exchange of RVSM approvals, submission of ADRs and following notification by the RMA, taking appropriate action with operators of non-approved and technically non-compliant aircraft/operators.

EUR RVSM refers to that portion of continental European airspace in which RVSM was implemented on 24 January 2002. All states which were part of this programme are accredited to the EUR region (except those that were already accredited to the North Atlantic RVSM region Central Monitoring Agency). Ireland, Portugal, Norway are to submit Altitude Deviation Reports to the EUR RMA for incidents which do not occur over Oceanic Airspace. One or two additional states have been accepted as accredited to the EUR RVSM region since 2002. The states or aircraft registries which are accredited to the EUR RVSM region are shown below:

Albania

Algeria

Armenia

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia & H.

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech. Rep

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Greece

Guernsey

Hungary

Isle of Man

Israel

Italy

Jersey

Latvia

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Rep of Moldova

Malta

FYR Macedonia

Monaco

Montenegro

Morocco

Netherlands

Poland

Romania

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Tunisia

Turkey

United Kingdom

Ukraine

States are expected to:

Notify the RMA when a new aircraft approval is issued.

Notify the RMA when an aircraft approval is withdrawn (or aircraft de-registered)

Investigate the status of unknown aircraft and operators reported by the RMA taking appropriate action if an operator does not have a valid approval.

Submit Altitude Deviation and other Operational Incident Reports to the RMA for the purpose of estimating collision risk probabilities.

Ensure appropriate action is taken with operators that have aircraft determined to be non-compliant with RVSM height keeping performance requirements.

Cooperate with the RMA to resolve aircraft with aberrant aircraft performance.